Roller board device



April 8, 1958 F. G. LUDWIG 2,829,892 ROLLER BOARD DEVICE I Filed Nov. '7, 1 955 2 Sheets-Sheet l v INVENTOR F REDERIC J. LUDWIG.

Cram B ATTORNEYS.

April 8, 1958 F. e. LUDWIG ROLLER BOARD DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 7, 1955 INVENTOR FREDER/C J. LUDWIG. BY WVQMMM, W

ATTORNEYS.

2,829,892 ROLLER BOARD DEVICE Frederic G. Ludwig, Woodbridge, Conn. Application November 7, 1955, Serial No. 545,349 7 Claims. (Cl. 272-1) It is likewise a practical object to have such a play and amusement device which is thus virtually self-balancing and so simple to use that a young child can readily and safely play and balance himself upon it at will.

It is, of course, a definite object also to'make such Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear in greater detail as the specification proceeds.

States Patent Ofilice In order to facilitate ready comprehension of this indrawing forming part hereof, and in which:

Figure l is a side elevation of a self-balancing Board play or amusement device made according to my invention and embodying the same in a practical form;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the same play or amusement device as seen from below in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the same device as taken on line 33 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a side elevation similar to that shown in Figure l, but illustrating a modification;

Figure 5 is a bottom plan view of the modification of Figure 4, resembling the view shown in Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a transverse section of the device of Figures 4 and 5, as specifically taken on line 6-6 in Figure 4.

2,829,892 Patented Apr. 8, 1958 In these figures, the same reference numerals indicate the same parts and features.

A typical Bongo Board nastics for a person skilled upon the device, but a positive In fact for a beginner, the dewoe is very dangerous, because it may quickly, even sudunder the unskilled user and thus cause a serious fall to occur. One of the important objects of the invention is therefore to eliminate such dangers by means of the invention which will now be described in detail in the following.

Hence, in the practice of also again to the drawing, the play or amusement device material,

the art, and is other.

as an axis, and the mutual en- The guide groove portion of the cylin Q der as already noted, it can not slip or become loose and idle about the cylinder. Also as the ends of the cord are anchored to the rail ends, the efiects to be had by rolling of the board upon the cylinder and vice versa, will mainly be due to the elasticity of cord 10, while staples 12, 13 securely hold the ends.

In other words, as t us far described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, the present play device is adapted for use by anovice who has yet to become expert in balancing upon and handling it, and, hence, the cord envelopes the cylinder in an external manner, so as to place certain limitationsupon the movements of this cord and the cylinder and render the device safe for play.

To recapitulate, when the player causes the cylinder to roll a distance in a given direction, the elastic cord then tends to return the cylinder to its neutral position beneath the center of the board, and meanwhile, a person standing upon the board can balance upon the latter with considerable success because the cylinder is' under special control of the cord and the guide rail. It returns, as stated to center neutral position as soon as released by a person or player stepping off the board, but tends to do so in any event even when a person is balancing upon the board, for the action of the elastic cord is constant and ever present to return the cylinder and board to starting position, as it were.

It is evident that the play or amusement device embodying the invention is proof against the cylinder sud-' denly darting out from beneath the board and is instead, virtually permanently associated with the board and tends always to perform in more or less well balanced manner for any person stepping upon the board and then going through the motions of balancing upon it. The device can therefore be termed virtually self-balancing, and is free from any element of danger.

On the other hand, when a player becomes skilled in balancing and maneuvering the device, the latter may be difierently arranged with respect to the elastic cord and the cylinder, as best seen in Figures 4 to 6, inclusive. In this modified arrangement, noting Figures 4, 5 and 6, the cylinder supports board 14 with the ends 16, 16 of the latter overhanging the ends of rail 17 which fits in groove 18 of the cylinder and divides it into the two aligned cylindrical members 23, 23, While the bottom 19 of groove 18 is also cylindrical, but on a smaller diameter than the groove of members 23. About the bottom 1! in groove 18 are wound preferably several turns of an elastic cord or band 20 at 21, while the ends of the cord are secured to the ends of rail 17 by means of two wide topped staples 32, 33 beneath board ends 16, 16. The two ends of the elastic cord 20 are not brought out to the cylinder 15 at an angle to board 14, as in the case of cord 10 toboard 4 from cylinder 5, but

instead he substantially in line close to the underside of board 14 and upon the upper side of cylinder enter the groove 18 and in the latter form the windings 21 which grip the cylinder about the bottom 19 of this groove. The cylinder in this case is substantially free wheeling inasmuch as the cord ends are disposed at 180 with respect to each other.

According to this arrangement, the rail 17 in co-operation with groove 18 definitely serve the important function of preventing twist or deviation of the cylinder from true transverse relation to the board 14 and its rail 17 during rotation of the cylinder. The latter is more likely to roll beneath the board in this case than when the cord is outside wound or connected as in Figures 1 to 3, so that this form of my invention is suitable for use by experts who must be nimble and sure-footed to play safely upon the device as shown in Figures 4 to 6.

In either form of my invention, the structural features are all the same and only the relative position ofthe elastic cord varies, being outside the cylinder in the first form and inside" or above the cylinder in the later form, and both forms being capable of use by balancing players standing and balancing upon the board 4 or 14.

I have described What I believe to be the best embodiments of my invention. I do not wish, however, to be confined to the embodiments shown, but what I desire to cover by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A self-balancing play or amusement device of the Bongo Board type including a flat board of greater length than width, a supporting cylinder of at least as great lengthas the width of the board, means upon both the board and the cylinder for maintaining the board substantially central upon the cylinder during rolling of said board thereon, means tending to restore the board to original position upon said cylinder with the board extending substantially transversely to both sides of the cylinder; whereby the cylinder will be substantially at rest, saidmeans for maintaining the board central upon the cylinder including alongitudinally disposed rail fixed upon the underside of the board intermediate the side edges thereof, while the cylinder has a guide groove or recess of predetermined depth intermediate the ends thereof for receiving the rail therein to prevent the cylinder from twisting or deviating from transverse relation to the rail, or from sliding out from beneath the board, said means for tending to return the board to original position upon the cylinder including an elastic cord wound at least once about the cylinder in th groove thereof and having the ends thereof secured at opposite points beneath the board adjacent to the ends of said board.

A self-balancing play or amusement device of the Bongo Board type including a flat board of greater length than width, a supporting cylinder of at least as great length as the Width of the board, means upon both the board and the cylinder for maintaining the board substanti'all y' central upon the cylinder during rolling of said board thereon and means tending to restore the board to original position upon said cylinder with the board extending substantially transversely to both sides of the cylinder, whereby" the cylinder will be substantially at rest; said means for tending to return the board to original position on the cylinder including an elastic cord wound at least once about the cylinder intermediate the ends; of the latter, with the two ends of the cord attached at opposite points beneath the board adjacent to the ends thereof.

3. A? self-balancing play or amusement device according to claim 1, wherein the cord is wound several turns about the bottom of the groove and frictionally grips the cylinder by the turns of said cord in said groove.

4. tself-balancing play or amusement device according to claim 2, wherein staples are fixed to the ends of the rails and secure the ends of the elastic cord to said ends of the rails.

5. A self-balancing play or amusement device of the character described, including a flat board of greater length than width having a longitudinally disposed uniform guide rail fixed beneath the board, a cylinder of at least equal length to the width of said board having in the intermediate portion thereof a guide groove or recess of predetermined depth and width to fit said guide rail, and an elastic cord wound at least once about the cylinder within said guide groove so as to grip the bottom of the groove and having the ends of said cord secured to the ends of said guide rail beneath said board adjacent to the ends of the latter.

6. A self-balancing play or amusement device according to claim 5, wherein the ends of the elastic cord are extended from the ends of the rails upon the underside of the board to the outer side of the cylinder in such fashion as to include the latter within an obtuse angle formed by the cord and the board having two sides of the angle defined by said cord. 7. A self-balancing play or 6 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Earley Preston FOREIGN PATENTS France Sept. 5, 1922 Aug. 29, 1950 Mar. 9, 1955 

